Author's Note: For the purpose of this story, assume that JT and Issac were never switched and that no one but John, Marlena, and Hope knew about JT's true paternity.
Chapter Five
Shawn quietly walked into his house and shut the door behind him softly. Looking around the house he knew that Belle had been waiting for him to return home because the place was spotless. And Belle always cleaned when she was nervous or stressed. Seeing that no one was there, he placed his helmet on the table and started to walk upstairs to his bedroom. On his way, he saw his son standing in his crib.
When Ian saw him, he exclaimed excitedly, "Dada."
"Hey," Shawn said walking into the room toward his son Ian recognizing his father, he bending up and down in excitement as his father came to him. Shawn lifted him up and hugged him to his body. "I missed you guy. Did you miss me?" Shawn asked as he held his son and walked over to the rocking chair and sat down placing Ian in his lap.
As Ian stood in his lap he clapped his hands on Shawn's jaw, smiling. Shawn smiled and took one of his hands and kissed it. "You know I think you missed me. I missed you too. And I want you to know that I am your father and I never let anyone take you away from me, never." Shawn hugged Ian's warm little body to him, needing to feel the comfort that only Ian could give breathing in his fresh baby scent. He smelled so good. Shawn just wanted to hold his son forever. Rocking gently him gently that was what he did.
And that was how he remained until Belle stumbled upon him carrying a bottle for Ian. "Alright sweetie I got you your bottle for you to go back to sleep. Before your sisters …" the words died on her last breath as gasped from the shock of seeing Shawn sitting in the rocking chair holding their son she almost dropped the bottle. "Shawn."
He stood up too quickly and upset Ian who began to cry. Shawn tried to quiet him while his eyes remained on Belle who was stilled by his presence. He looked at Ian and saw that he would not be placated as saw the baby's brown eyes fill with tears. It was obvious; he could feel the tension in the room from his parents. Shawn walked hesitantly toward Belle, their eyes never leaving each other's. "Belle I ––,"
The front door slammed shut and followed the sounds of the children. "Momma we're home." They called simultaneously. Belle turned toward the door and then looked back at Shawn and Ian who had stopped whimpering.
"I have to go downstairs, mom picked Serena from school today for that meeting. Here umm, feed Ian." Belle hurriedly handed Shawn the bottle and practically ran out of the room leaving Shawn holding the baby.
"She's running away," Shawn commented to himself, staring at the space his wife had vacated. "Well Ian I guess I'm going to have to be the one to fix this little problem," Ian reached for the bottle and helped his father bring it to his mouth. "After I feed you." Shawn walked back to the rocking chair, sat down and fed his son.
Belle saw her mother off and fed the girls a snack before she headed back upstairs hoping to speak with Shawn. But as she walked pass Ian's room she saw no one was there. Then upon closer observation she saw that Ian was there in his crib asleep, gently she smoothed back his hair and left the room making sure to turn on the baby monitor. She went to her bedroom where to her surprise Shawn was packing a bag.
"Are you going somewhere? You're leaving me aren't you?" Belle asked her voice cracking a little. Shawn looked up at her shocked by her question.
"What! No, of course not. Why would you think that?" Shawn was more than surprised by her question. He stopped packing as she walked over to the bed and stood next to the spot where his bag laid.
"Shawn you left last night without so much as a goodbye and when you finally come home you're packing a bag, what was I supposed to think?" She paused and watched as he continued to shove things into the bag. "If you're not leaving me then where are you going? Are-are you still mad at me?"
"Belle," Shawn stopped in the midst of packing to grasp her hands and make her sit down on the bed in front of him. "I am not, I repeat not leaving you. I couldn't do that considering I love you too much to let you go. As for my being angry with you, I'm not."
"Then, if you're not mad at me why are you leaving?"
"I am going on a business trip. Philip has to go out of town and I'm going with him." Shawn answered.
"Why don't you just tell Philip that you can't go? I mean I'd like to think our family, our daughters and son, take precedence over everything even your work. Look, I'm sure Brady can go instead of you. In fact, I'll just call him." Belle rose from the bed and started to get the telephone but Shawn stopped her grasping her arm as she went.
"No Belle. Brady can't do this. I have to."
"Why?" Belle asked.
"Don't you get it? I volunteered to go with Philip." He said looking away and letting her go to stand next to his bag, he looked back at her. "He didn't ask me to go. This is something that only I can help him with. And besides I need to get away for a while I need time to think. After what I –– we've found out I think we both could use some time to come to grasp with this, on our own." Looking at her, he knew that she would never agree with him. But he needed some space; time to deal with this, to understand this new change in his life. And Belle needed to understand that.
Belle couldn't believe what she was hearing. They had just learned they share a brother and he wanted to leave instead of dealing with it head on together. "Shawn running away from this isn't going to change anything. When you come back JT will still be my brother as well as yours, my father," she gulped. "Will still be his. That won't change."
"Belle, I know that. I don't think that my leaving will change things; there won't be any difference now then from when I get back. Why can't you understand, I'm not trying to get away from anything. I just need time." Shawn threw another pair of pants and a shirt into the bag. As he turned around to say something else, Serena walked into the room with Iris close on her heels.
"Daddy," she ran to him her long brown hair flying, she wrapped her arms around him Iris did the same except she went to his legs.
"Oh wow don't hold my legs too tightly, Rissy." Shawn leaned down and picked up his young daughter. "Hey Rena."
"Daddy, why did you stay at Ana's house last night?" Pushing back her shoulder length brown hair as she peered up her father with bright blue eyes, an exact replica of her mothers.
Holding Iris to him he looked to Belle before answering. "I had to go away last night to get an update on a trip that I'm going on." Iris put her arm around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. She watched as he spoke to her sister. Belle stood off to the side near the bed with her arms crossed. Although she gave no sign that she was angry. But, he knew that she was.
"You're going on a business trip?" Serena asked.
"Yes, as a matter of fact I'm leaving today."
"Can I go with you?"
Shawn was slightly amused. He placed Iris down on the bed before putting his last piece of clothing in the bag. Then, he turned to his older daughter. "No Serena, you can't go with me. I'll be working and it wouldn't be any fun for you. But, I'll bring you something back, I promise." He bent down so that he was eye level with her as he cupped her cheek.
"Are you leaving right now?"
"In a little while, I had to come home and pack my bag –––," Shawn was interrupted by Serena.
"But, you promised to tell me about the island tonight. You promised me." Her eyes began to fill with tears. "You promised me, Daddy and a Brady never breaks their promise. You said so." She reached up and pulled his hand away from her cheek.
"Serena I … I'm sorry. But, I promise that I will tell you everything about the island and even about the time I went to a coronation, anything you want when I get back. Sweetie, I promise you I will."
"You promised me last night. And now you're breaking it, Daddy do you have to go? Could-couldn't you stay?"
"Rena, I would if I could. You know I never like leaving you unless I have to." Belle arched her brow, doing the famous Black arch. "Okay?" he asked once more.
Serena nodded as she wiped the tears from her face and then she moved away from her father. "Okay Daddy," she said so quietly that Shawn could hardly hear her. "I'll just make up my own stories." She turned and ran out of the room. Belle moved to stand by, as he started to rise up.
Belle started to walk after Serena but turned to him. "Well, Shawn I hope you're happy. You just broke a promise to your daughter. I just hope this trip was worth it hurting her like that." She left the room presumably to go to Serena.
"Belle," he said but his words fell on deaf ears. "I'm sorry." When he turned back to zip the bag he was surprised to see little Iris still sitting on the bed where he had placed her. She sat there quietly observing everything that had gone on.
"Daddy go bye bye." She said to him when he moved to sit down next to her. She crawled over onto his lap.
"Yeah, Iris Daddy has to go bye bye for a while. "
"Oh … okay. Gift me. I wool miss woo." Iris said pulling his face down to her.
"I'll bring you something angel." Shawn said as he chuckled at her. She was definitely a unique child. "At least one of my girls will miss me. I'll miss you too." Shawn stood one arm carrying Iris the other carrying his bag.
Belle entered the room of her oldest daughter and saw her lying on the bed face down; her head in her pillow as she sobbed. She walked over to the bed and sat down. Serena sat up when she felt her mother sit on the bed. Belle opened her arms and Serena crawled into them.
"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry." Belle held her daughter in her arms soothingly rubbing her back. After a few moments Serena wiped his eyes and moved away from her mother so that she sat next to her.
"Mom, why does he have to leave? He promised me he would tell me about the island." She asked Belle who rubbed her back before she answered.
"Angel, you know that if he could your Dad would be here to tell you about the island. Daddy loves you very much. And he would never try to do anything that would make you unhappy. You know that right?" Belle placed a hand under Serena's chin to reach a daughter's face to hers to see his eyes.
"I know Mom."
"Good. Now, I know I don't tell stories as good as your Dad. But, if you give me a chance I will try to do that for you. And when he gets back I'm sure that he will make it up you." As Belle comforted her daughter she wiped her tears away to tweaked her nose a little.
"Mom, your stories aren't as good as Dad's. I guess I'll have to settle for them while he's gone." Serena said a little resigned.
"Hey," Belle said as she fauxed a tone of disappointment.
"I'm kidding, Mom," Serena said grabbing her mother's hand.
"I know, honey. Now your Dad's leaving in a little while. I'm sure he wants to say goodbye to you." Belle pushed a lock of brown hair off of her face.
"Okay I'll go see him." Serena bounced off her bed and went off to find her father.
"If only it was so easy for me." Belle said to herself in the silence of the room. She rose from the bed to follow her daughter and find her husband.
Shawn was hugging Serena and kissing her goodbye when Belle entered the living room.
"I'm sorry I won't be here to tell you about the island. But, when I get back I'll tell you all that and more. And I might it do a small bit of rated PG-15," Shawn said as he leaning down and whispering in her ear.
Serena nodded. "I know Dad. I'm sorry I got so mad at you. I shouldn't have done that." She said when Shawn placed her back on the floor.
"It's alright, sweetie I understand that. Why you take Iris and go play while I say goodbye to Mommy."
"Alright bye Daddy. Have a safe trip and don't forget to bring me something back." Then Serena grasp Iris' hand and together they left their parents alone to go to the playroom down the hall.
After a few moments of absolute silence Belle and Shawn came together and hugged. "Thank you, for that." Shawn said whispering to her.
"Don't thank me. Just keep your promise to her this time. That's all I ask."
"I will."
"Have a good trip, Brady." Belle pulled back a little. Shawn moved his hand to push her long blonde hair behind her ears. Then he kissed her, a short and gentle kiss that took Belle's breath away. When he released her month she took in a passel of air. Shawn then released her and moved to grab his bag off the floor. As he got the door he passed and turned. "Shawn, I love you."
"I love you, too." With those parting words the door closed on Shawn departing figure.
Philip and Shawn were at the airport with Brady.
"Alright, everything is set up. All we need to do is meet my investigator in Italy." Philip told his nephews.
"When do you expect to be back?" Brady asked him.
"I have no idea. A week, maybe two I just don't know; as long as it takes I guess." Philip answered honestly not knowing exactly how long this would take. "It's important that you cover for me while I'm gone. Chloe can't know why I've really left or where I am. You've got to promise me you'll protect her while I'm gone." Philip said as the flight was called.
"Man, you know I wouldn't let anything happen to her or the kids. I will protect them you have my word on that." They did the 'man's' handshake before Philip left for the gate. Leaving Brady and Shawn staying behind. "The same goes for Belle."
"I know. Listen I …"
"Shawn, it's okay. I know what you're going to say. Look it's time for you to go. You don't want to miss your flight." They too did the 'man's' handshake and then Shawn grabbed his bag and left. As he boarded the plane took off. "I just hope you both find what you're looking for."